Liquid-distributing means for heat-exchange devices



Nov. 23 1926. V

H FELDMEIER LIQUID DISTRIBUTING MEANS FOR HEAT EXCHANGE DEVICES FiledDec.

Patented Nov. 23, 1926.

Nrrsn s'ra'rss I'EARVEY FELDMEIER, OF LITTLE FALLS, NEW YEP- PATENTFFECE.

ASSIGNQP. 'lO D. H. BU'RRELL &

C0. INS, C-F LITTLE FALL, NEEV YORK.

Application filed December 3, 1924. Serial No. 753,594.

This invention relates to improvements in liquid distributing means forliquid coolers or heat exchange devices of the surface type in. whichmilk or other iquid is caused to (low over the outer surfaces of atubular or other structure through which a suitable medium passes forcooling or heating the'milk or other liquid.

In the following description, for the sake of brevity and clearness, theheat exchange device is called a cooler, but it is not thereby intendedto limit theimprovements to a liquid cooler, since they are applicableto either a heater or cooler or analogous device for treating liquids.

These distributors are usually in the form of a horizontal tube ortrough arranged longitudinally above the cooler adjacent-the top tube orportion thereof, and provided with spaced discharge holes in its bottomthrough which the liquid is intended to discharge from the distributoronto the topmost. tube or portion of the cooler so as to flow downwardlyover the opposite sides thereof. It is desirable that the liquid to becooled should flow over the cooling surface in an unbroken, thin filmcovering the entire surface, in order to effect a rapid exchange of heatwith the minimum area of coolingsurface and amount of cooling medium, toattain the maximiun eiiiciency and economy in operation. However, thedistributors as heretofore constructed do not entirely meet theserequirements for the reason that the liquid discharging from theorifices or holes iuthe distributors flows over the cooling surfaces inmore or less separated. or independent streams, which do not entirelycover the surfaces so that the whole area of the cooling surfaces is notutilized in cooling the liquid.

The objects of the present invention are to provide a distributor forliquid coolers or heat exchange devices which is constructed so as tocause the liquid to flow in a continuous or unbroken sheet or filmextending substantially over the whole effective width of the coolingsurface; also to provide a distributor of this kind having spaceddischarge holes inthe bottom thereof and so constructed and disposedwith reference to the top tube or part of the cooler that the separatestreams of liquid discharging from the dis tributor will be caused tospread and form a continuous film before flowing downwardly over thecooling surfaces; also to provide a distributor having a depending dripstrip provided with discharge holes registering with the holes in thedistributor tube or trough, the bottom surface of said strip beingdisposed in such proximity to the top of the cooler that the separatestreams of liquid discharging from the holes will be caused to unite bycapillary action into a single body of liquid adapted to flow in thin,continuous films downwardly over the opposite cooling surfaces of thecooler; also to provide spacing means between the bottom of the distributorand the top of the upper tube or part of the cooler adapter. tomaintain the distributor in proper spaced relation to, or at therequireddistance from the cooler to ensure said capillary action and spreadingof the liquid; and also to improve distributors for liquid coolers orheat exchange devices in the other respects hereinafter set forth andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. l is a side elevation of the upperportion of a tubular liquid cooler provided with liquid distributorembodying the invention.

F 2 is a fragmentary side elevation thereof on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a transverse, section thereof on line 3-3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse section showing the lower partof thedistributor, and the spacing means between the same and the top of thecooler.

Fig. 5 is similar view illustrating the manner in which the liquiddischarges from the distributor upon the cooler.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation, partly in section, on the same scale asFigs. 52 and 3, showing a trough type of distributor constructed inaccordance with the invention.

The distribui'zor of the present invention may be used in conjunctionwith a surface type cooler or heat eizcl'iange device of any suitableconstruction. The cooler 10 shown in the drawings is ofordinaryconstructimi comprising a plurality of horizontal, superposedtubes 11 connected at their opposite ends by headers 12 for permittingflow of the cooling or other medium through the tube. In th spacesbetween the tubes 11 are provided drip strips 11 adapted to direct thefilms flowing off of one tube onto the next lower tube. Each strip 11shown is soldered to the underside of one of the tubes.

till

An outlet pipe 13 is shown at the upper end of one of the headers, whilean inlet pipe (not shown) enters the lower portion thereof in the usualmanner for providing the neces sary circulation of the fluid in thecooler. 14 represents a supporting frame for the cooler, said framehaving forwardly eXtend ing brackets 15 having seats for the receptionof the ends of the upper tube 11.

The liquid distributor can be a receptacle of any suitable form, eitheran open trough or a closed pipe disposed to discharge the liquid on theupper part of the cooler. As shown in Figs. 1-5, the distributorcomprises a horizontal pipe or tube 18 extending parallel with anddirectly over the topmost tube 11 of the cooler and having dischargeholes for the liquid in its bottom portion which is adjacent the top ofsaid tube 11. The distributor pipe 18 is closed at its opposite ends andconsists of two pieces of pipe connected at midlength of the distributorby a T fitting 19 to the liquid feed pipe 20, but if desired, thedistributor may comprise a single pipe receiving its supply of liquid atone or both ends.

In accordance with this invention, the distributor 18 is provided with aplurality of spaced discharge openings 21 through its bottom, theseopenings being preferably vertical cylindrical holes of relatively smalldiameter arranged in asingle row in the vertical plane of the axis ofthe adjacent cooler tube 11 with the bottom face of the distributor andthe lower ends of the holes disposed in such close proximity to the topof the tube 11 that the liquid will not drop or flow from thedistributor upon the tube 11 in small separate streams, but will collectand spread or run together by capillaryv action in the narrow spacebetween the bottom of the distributor and the top of the tube 11 so asto join the streams from the small holes and form a continuous body ofliquid in this space and flow downwardly in unbroken films over theopposite sides of the tube 11 or cooling surfaces of the cooler. In theconstruction shown in the drawings, a narrow, longitudinal strip 28 issecured to the under side of the distributor pipe 18,. as by soldering,brazing or otherwise, and the holes 21 extend from the interior of thepipe 18 through this strip to its bottom face. This strip preferably hasvertical side faces and a flat bottom face 24 disposed close to andparallel with the top face of the cooler 10. A metal strip aboutone-quarter of an inch wide and with a clearance of about onethirty-second of an inch between the tube 11 and the bottom face of thestrip has been found to give entirelv satisfactory results. The liquiddischarging through the holes 21 of the distributor collects in thespace be tween the bottom of the strip 23 and the top surface of thecooler and by capillary action spreads lengthwise and laterally until itfills the space to the opposite side edges or corners 25 of the strip,as shown in Fig. 5. The pressure of the liquid in the distributor onthis body of liquid causes the liquid, after filling the space betweenthe strip 23 and the tube 11, to flow down over the opposite sides ofthe tube'in substantially uniform, thin and continuous or unbroken filmsor shec 2 such that the liquid will cover the heat change surfaces andbe rapidly and efficiently cooled.

To enable the bottom face 23 to be easily and correctly positioned andmaintained. at the required distance above the top face of the cooler.spa provided such as flat disks 0.! which can he soldered or otherwisefired at suitable distances along and to the bottom face of the strip 23or on top of the tube 11 so as to form seats by which the distributormay rest on the top of the cooler or tube ll. The distributor can beheld in place by any suitable means, such as clips or straps 2?straddling the distributor tube 18 and releasably secured to the headers12 by screws or the like 28. In the construction shown in Fig. 1, inwhich the distributor pipe is composed of connected sect-ions, the strip23 also is made in sections, One for each section of the distributorpipe 18, but when a singlepiece pipe is usec, a single-piece strip canbe employed extending from end to end of the distributor.

The distributor shown in Fig. 6 is in the form of an open trough 30secured by brackets 31 at its ends to the headers or other parts of thecooler. This distributor is provided with a metal strip 23 through whichthe openings 2:2 extend into the bottom of the trough, and the striprest; by spacers 26 on the top of the tube 11 or cooler and is arrangedrelatively to the heat exchange tube 11 and functions to spread anddistribute the liquid as above described in connection with pipedistributor shown in Figs. 1-5.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a heat exchange device having a surface overwhich a liquid flows. of a distributor for the liquid having a series ofspaced discharge holes passing through a wall thereof, the outer face ofsaid wall about said holes extending along and being spaced from but insuch relation to an opposed part of said heat exchange surface thatcapillary action will cause the liquid discharging through said holes tospread and form a continuous body of the liquid between said surfacesfrom which the liquid flows in an unbroken film over the heat exchangesurface.

2. The combination with a heat exchange device having a surface overwhich a liquid flows, of a distributor for the liquid, having 2dof thestrip a series of spaced discharge holes for the liquid passing throughthe bottom of the re ceptacle, the outer face of said bottom about saidholes overlying the top face of said heat exchange device and beingspaced such a distance therefrom as to cause the liquid dischargingthrough said holes to spread and form a continuous body of the liquidbetween said surfaces from which the liquid flows in an unbroken filmover the surface of said heat exchange device.

3. The combination with a heat exchange device having a series ofsuperposed tubes over the outer surfaces of which a liquid flows, of adistributor for the liquid arranged longitudinally above said tubes, aplurality of spaced holes extending through the bottom of saiddistributor to the outer face of the bottom and adapted to dischargeliquid from the distributor upon said tubes, said outer bottom facebeing parallel with and spaced from the top of the uppermost tube ofsaid series at such a distance therefrom as to cause the liquiddischarging through said holes to spread and form a continuous body ofliquid between said face and said upper tube from which the liquid flowsin an unbroken film downwardly over the opposite sides of said tubes.

4t. The combination with a heat exchange device in which a liquid flowsover a heat exchange surface, of a distributor for the liquid arrangedlongitudinally above said heat exchange device and having a dependingstrip extending along the underside of said distributor and having aplurality of spaced holes extending through the same and the bottom ofsaid distributor for the discharge of liquid upon said heat exchangedevice, the bottom face of said strip being parallel with and spacedfrom the top edge of said heat exchange device at a distance therefromsuch that capillary action will cause the liquid discharging throughsaid holes to spread being along tween said face and form a continuousbody of liquid therebetween from which the liquid flows in an unbrokenfilm downwardly over the opposite sides of said tubes.

5. The combination with a heat exchange device having a series ofsuperposed tubes over the surfaces of which a distributor arrangedlongitudinally above said tubes, a median projecting strip extend theunderside of said receptacle and having a flat bottom face terminatinginabrupt side edges disposed parallel to the axis of the upper tube ofsaid series, said receptacle having a series of spaced discharge holesextending through said strip to the bottom face thereof, said bottomface being parallel with and spaced from the top edge of said tube at adistance therefrom such that capillary action will cause the liquiddischarging through holes to spread between said faces and form acontinuous between from which the liquid flows in unbroken filmsdownwardly over the opposite sides of said series of tubes.

6. The combination With a heat exchange device having a surface overwhich a liquid flows, of a distributor for said liquid longitudinallydisposed above said device and having a flat bottom face with abrupt andside edges, and a plurality of spaced discharge holes for the liquidextending through said receptacle to said bottom face, and spacingdevices arranged between said distributor and the top face of said heatexchange device and adapted to hold said bottom face parallel with theadjacent edge of said top face and at such a distance therefrom thatcapillary action will cause liquid dischar ing through said holes tospread and form a continuous body of liquid between said faces fromwhich the liquid flows in an unbroken film over the heat exchangedevice.

HARVEY FELDMEIER.

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